”House”: Things get heavy

Oh, where to begin, fellow House watchers. I’m beginning to grow rather annoyed with the general direction of this season. First off, the patient of the week seemed way too easy a target for House & Co. (House + morbidly obese patient = inevitable Shamu joke), and I don’t know whether it was the unconvincing fat suit or retread jokes that turned me off, but Pruitt Taylor Vince’s cancer victim just didn’t interest me as much as a 600-pound body of unsolved ailments should have.

I was also perplexed by Chase’s disappearance one-third into the show after not wanting to help the patient — is he being set up for a future side story we’re not yet privy to? Otherwise, Chase, you’re a doc — even if you think a patient’s wrong, make an effort!

As for the other ducklings on the case, the writers continued Cameron’s soul-searching bold streak, as she defied House’s orders, rolled his red-and-grey tennis ball around on his desk, lied to Cuddy, and wore a purple shirt with a black vest. Foreman, meanwhile, did little other than perform a quick surgery and deliver the best line of the evening: ”You believe the [MRI] machine is going to stand on principle?” Hee.

The Tritter subplot continues to grate. I agree, David Morse is a fine actor, but his cop is so ridiculously one-note and revenge-bent that his scenes are often just excruciating to sit through. And I understand he’s meant as an extreme foil to House, but there’s only so many ways House can demonstrate stubbornness and go crazy again.

But not all was lost. House’s attempt to cover up his in vitro fertilization slip-up in reference to Cuddy was classic. And at least now we know what A Different World’s Dwayne Wayne has been up to all of these years: apparently studying his butt off for the LSATs.

The most redeeming moment of the episode was the sad, shocked look Wilson gave after Tritter confronted him with evidence of House forging his signature for prescriptions — and yet Wilson’s still willing to lie for his friend. This cannot end well.

What did you think? Are you liking the Tritter story line? Will Wilson have his job handed to him on a plate? And what was up with Chase’s absence?